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Astrid Skarlwasten
"I am the master of the Spiritstorm!" Astrid Skarlwasten, First Mate of ''the Deathknell'', Queen of the Draug, Commander of the Spiritstorm, Scourge of Anghol, was one of Canarro's Harpies. She was a major antagonist during the "Tales of the Shattered Skies" campaign. Astrid was High Admiral Sebastien Canarro's most powerful lieutenant, a fearsome undead Svoldian warrior, and a powerful user of magic. She was responsible for the capture of Emilio Ventura and Kagami Nakamura when they infiltrated The Deathknell. Background Life Astrid Skarlwasten was born and raised in Naglvarlund, the religious and cultural capital of Svoldia. Naturally tall and well muscled, she was trained as a warrior, and soon became noted as a powerful fighter. By the time she reached her mid-twenties, she had been named a Thane of Naglvarlund. However, this would not satisfy her. Through her life, she had spent a lot of time in and near Naglvarhalla, the great mausoleum where the most honourable of Svoldian warriors were taken. She heard the tales of the Svoldian afterlife, and the terrible Spiritstorm which rended souls from the unworthy. She believed there was a way to control it, and this was a controversial stance to take. This caused conflict with Iohan Svarhalla, the Chieftain of Naglvarlund at the time, yet Astrid had her own loyal supporters. This erupted into a greater conflict, eventually leading Astrid to challenge Iohan to a duel. He accepted, for if he did not he would be seen as weak and dishonourable. Iohan was never as competent a warrior as Astrid, and was cut down quickly. However, many did not accept Astrid's rise to rule, and still considered her a heretic, especially since she killed Iohan so mercilessly, rather than simply incapacitating him. For a few years, Astrid was officially the Chieftain of Naglvarlund, at least in the eyes of the Stone King and the official records. However, it wasn't long before Grysa Svarhalla, Iohan's daughter, rose up against her. In a climactic battle upon Astrid's longship, Grysa duelled Astrid and won, killing her. Death Yet death was not the end for Astrid. As the Lady of the Mists arrived and collected the souls of those who had died, she refused to collect Astrid's soul. Instead, Astrid was forced to make her way through the Spiritstorm. This is where Astrid's long-held belief finally came to be tested, as she swum into the heart of the storm, to try and control it. Nobody knows what Astrid found in the heart of the storm, but what is known is that she returned as a powerful Draug warrior, with lightning energy running through her veins. Unlike most Draug, Astrid was intelligent, and was far more powerful. She named herself Queen of the Draug, and began to build herself an army of undead. In revenge against Grysa, she raided the port of Anghol, Grysa's home town. Her attack was so thorough and merciless, that the town was never repopulated again, and retained a lingering malign presence long after she left. For some time, Astrid sailed the Svoldian islands, taking vengeance against the living and generally being a scourge. Until she was approached by Sebastien Canarro, High Admiral of Calamar, with an offer. He'd heard legends of her prowess, and wanted her to join his crew as his first mate. At first she was reluctant, and had no love for the Calamaran Empire anyway. However, as Canarro explained his plans and how he hoped to shape the Shattered Sea, she became intrigued. She joined him on the condition that when he gained control over the whole of the Shattered Sea, she would get to be in charge of Svoldia. On the Shrouded Continent On the Shrouded Continent Astrid spent most of her time looking after The Deathknell while Canarro and the other harpies explored, looking for the City of Shrouds. When The Vanessa's Revenge attacked, she lead the defense, and was able to capture Emilio Ventura and Kagami Nakamura, though was not able to prevent their sabotage of the ship, or their theft of the Deathknell itself. Personality & Relations Astrid Skarlwasten is a contentious, ambitious, and incredibly menacing woman who takes joy in battle, and especially enjoys defeating those who arrogantly claim to be great warriors. In life, she was a controversial and rebellious woman who hated being commanded by an authority that she considered unworthy. She does not, however, mind being a subordinate to Sebastien Canarro, seeing him as the only worthy leader she's ever followed. Astrid is fiercely loyal to Canarro and to the crew of The Deathknell. She follows his commands to the letter, and does not tolerate dissent or disloyalty in her crew. Astrid is good friends with the twins Elsa & Etta, and is quite protective of them. She tolerates Goletta, but doesn't like her. Skills In life, Astrid was a fearsome warrior, one of the most deadly fighters in all of Svoldia. Undeath has only increased her skills, granting her superior strength, size, and the powers of the Spiritstorm. Astrid is supernaturally strong, able to lift great weights and throw aside foes easily. She wields two Svoldian hand-axes, imbued with magical energy, which she can throw with great precision, and call back to her hand. Astrid also has the powers of a Draug, which include being able to transform into a cloud of mist, and having blood imbued with the storm, harming anybody who manages to hurt her. From commanding the Spiritstorm, Astrid has been gifted with powerful necromancy. She can summon Draug warriors to her aid, take control of any mindless undead, and imbue corpses with storm energy, turning them into loyal Draug. Additionally, she is able to channel the energy of the Spiritstorm, unleashing a vortex of soul energy after a time. Astrid was able to create a Stormhost, a dead body which she claimed acted as a "Host of the Spiritstorm". This creature was able to unleash powerful winds and lightning bolts, though could not actually move itself, and spent most of its time locked away in a coffin.